Medication infusion devices and physiological fluid characteristic monitoring devices are known in the medical field. One very common application of such devices is the delivery of insulin to and the monitoring of blood glucose levels of diabetics. Increased portability and ease of use of such devices have enabled the diabetic to administer a self-regulated medical treatment regime which in turn provides an increased level of patient autonomy and privacy. This is particularly beneficial since a diabetic's glucose levels may vary daily or hourly.
Such self-regulated diabetic treatment regimes often include the self-administration, either by injection and/or ingestion, of various medications, e.g., insulin. In addition to a high degree of medication compliance, for such self-regulated regimes to work effectively and safely, the patient needs to closely monitor the times at which medication is taken and may need to record or document corresponding medically relevant self-monitoring information, e.g., blood glucose level, insulin dosage, etc. The monitoring of such data helps to determine the current status and course of action (regime change) of future actions. Because the recordation or awareness of this information can be time consuming and inconvenient, particularly if done with a paper logbook, it is desirable that recordation, compilation and tracking of this type of information be as seamless and time-efficient to the user as possible.
Accordingly, there is continued interest in the development of new devices and methods for the patient-regulated monitoring and recordation of medical information, including but not limited to drug administration (injection) time and dosage, analyte concentration, e.g., glucose levels, etc. Of particular interest would be the development of a patient-controlled medication administration and monitory system which provides the patient with flexibility and control, increases convenience, privacy and ease of use for the patient, and enhances portability of system components (e.g., glucose measurement meter, insulin injector, test strips, needles, lancets, etc.).